A catalyst for EuropeaN ClOUd Services in the era of data spaces, high-performance and edge computing

Project Information

NOUS

Grant agreement ID: 101135927

DOI

10.3030/101135927

EC signature date 20 October 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 8 428 875,00

EU contribution

€ 8 428 875,00

Coordinated by

FUNDACION INSTITUTO INTERNACIONAL DE INVESTIGACION EN INTELIGENCIA ARTIFICIAL Y CIENCIAS DE LA COMPUTACION
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NOUS (A catalyst for EuropeaN ClOUd Services in the era of data spaces, high-performance and edge computing)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The NOUS project is framed within the European strategic context of rapidly expanding data-intensive services, increasing dependence on cloud and edge infrastructures, and the need to reinforce Europe’s digital sovereignty. Across domains such as mobility, energy, public safety, and scientific research, organisations face persistent challenges including data fragmentation, limited interoperability, restricted access to high-performance computing (HPC), and rising legal, ethical, and security requirements. These challenges are intensified by reliance on non-European cloud providers, heterogeneous data standards, and difficulties in deploying advanced technologies such as federated learning, blockchain, and quantum computing within compliant European frameworks.

NOUS addresses these issues by designing and validating a European cloud-edge-HPC-data architecture that enables secure, interoperable, and scalable data-driven services. The project directly supports EU policy priorities on digital sovereignty, data spaces, FAIR data, and trustworthy AI, aligned with initiatives such as Gaia-X and the European Data Strategy. Its objective is to demonstrate how advanced computing, decentralised data governance, and human-centred practices can be combined into an open and reusable ecosystem that balances innovation and compliance.

The project follows a structured pathway from requirements and architecture design to technology development and validation across four heterogeneous use cases: connected mobility, energy prediction, crisis management, and scientific data analytics. Core components include federated computation, interoperability mediators, blockchain-based traceability, data space connectors, and a Virtual Lab for collaboration. Openness and reuse are reinforced through open-source development, defined governance models, and exploitable assets such as the Auto-Standardiser. NOUS aims to reduce technical and organisational barriers to data sharing and advanced computing across Europe, particularly for SMEs, public authorities, and research organisations.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first reporting period, NOUS conducted coordinated technical and scientific activities to design, implement, and validate a European cloud-edge-HPC-data architecture. Work progressed from requirements and architectural definition to the development of core components and their initial validation across heterogeneous domains.
A common requirements and evaluation framework was established, capturing functional, non-functional, legal, and ethical constraints across all use cases. This ensured alignment with operational needs in mobility, energy, crisis management, and scientific computing, with a strong focus on interoperability, scalability, data governance, and trust.
A key achievement was the definition and first implementation of the NOUS reference architecture, integrating edge, cloud, and HPC resources into a federated computing environment. The architecture enables hierarchical and distributed computation while ensuring secure operation through a Zero Trust-based cybersecurity framework.
Significant progress was achieved in advanced analytics, including structured parallel programming for edge-fog-cloud deployments and a federated learning and inference framework that supports collaborative AI without centralising data. Cloud-HPC interoperability mechanisms were validated, and a hybrid HPC-quantum software stack was developed, enabling quantum resources to be integrated into HPC workflows.
Data interoperability was addressed through data space connectors enabling policy-governed exchange with external European data spaces, complemented by a blockchain-based traceability layer. The Auto-Standardiser was initiated to automate the translation of heterogeneous legacy data into standard formats. Human-centred and ethical design was embedded through Human-in-the-Loop architectural models, supporting transparency, accountability, and trustworthy AI-driven services.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results achieved by NOUS establish a solid technological and scientific foundation for next-generation European cloud, edge, and HPC infrastructures that are interoperable, secure, and aligned with data sovereignty principles. NOUS enables more efficient use of distributed computing resources, reduces data movement and centralisation risks, and supports scalable AI and analytics across sectors such as mobility, energy, public safety, and scientific research. The integration of federated learning, blockchain-based traceability, and human-centered AI strengthens trust, accountability, and compliance, which are essential prerequisites for uptake in regulated and high-stakes environments. At the system level, the architecture contributes to European digital sovereignty by supporting alignment with initiatives such as data spaces, Gaia-X, EOSC, and emerging cloud governance frameworks.

To ensure further uptake and long-term success, several enabling conditions are key. Continued demonstration and large-scale validation are needed to move selected components from prototype to deployment-ready solutions. Access to markets and sustainable exploitation pathways, including modular commercialisation and service-based offerings, will support industrial adoption. Open-source governance and IPR clarity remain essential to balance openness with commercial viability. Close alignment with evolving regulatory and standardisation frameworks, particularly in data governance, AI, and cloud interoperability, will be critical to ensure that NOUS results can be adopted, replicated, and scaled.